Cheesesteak, Cheesesteak

My hometown of Philadelphia has many culinary virtues, all of them modest (Tastykake, scrapple), none more beloved than the cheesesteak. Of late cheesesteaks have proliferated, appearing even in chain restaurants at airports. That's not good, because an authentic cheesesteak has certain properties that aren't easy to replicate. It's soft, gooey, and overcooked. Come to think of it, those properties are easy to replicate. Still, it's hard to find a cheesesteak outside Philadelphia that tastes like home.

One of Philadelphia's greatest purveyors of cheesesteaks is Tony Luke's—which is actually more famous for its sandwich of roast pork with broccoli rabe and provolone cheese. In New York, a branch of Tony Luke's has just re-opened on 9th Avenue, not far from the Port Authority Bus Terminal. It's the right neighborhood for a cheesesteak emporium. Across the street is the League of Mutual Taxi Owners and Papaya Dog.

The place has been in business before. Evan Stein, who made money in an internet startup and invested it all in this shop—okay, he didn't make a fortune—first built this outpost of Tony Luke's in 2005, replicating the original's exceedingly downscale look (cement floor, a few stools). He says, "Nobody came in after 6 p.m. They'd look in and think it was a check-cashing joint." He closed for remodeling.

The new version is pretty slick, with exposed-brick walls and a full-service bar. The Italian fries with romano cheese (Philly is a romano, not a parmesan, town) are supremely crunchy. The roast pork sandwich is good, although I think the pork is too lean and healthy. It's the cheesesteak that stands out.

Have it the proper way, with Cheez Whiz (called wiz in Philly slang) and fried onions. You might think that sounds repulsive, and technically it is repulsive, but Stein gets it exactly right, creating a magnificent wiz-onion mélange. To his credit, the bread is very fresh and the meat overcooked, two key elements.

When I stopped in recently, Stein was a little concerned he had made the place too fancy, but I assured him his food was worthy of tables and chairs.